U.S. patent number 6,655,776 [Application Number 09/858,331] was granted by the patent office on 2003-12-02 for media pack for combination image acquisition and printing device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Eastman Kodak Company. Invention is credited to Richard A. Murray.
United States Patent |
6,655,776 |
Murray |
December 2, 2003 |
Media pack for combination image acquisition and printing
device
Abstract
A media pack for a combination image acquisition and ink jet
printing apparatus comprises a housing configured for insertion
into the combination digital camera and ink jet printing apparatus,
a plurality of sheets of ink receiving media contained within the
housing, and a plurality of ink reservoirs. A service station area
and/or a memory element may also be provided.
Inventors: |
Murray; Richard A. (San Diego,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Eastman Kodak Company
(Rochester NY) N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
25328060 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/858,331 |
Filed: |
May 15, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
347/19; 347/2;
347/33; 347/86 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41J
2/1752 (20130101); B41J 3/445 (20130101); B41J
13/0081 (20130101); B41J 29/38 (20130101); B41J
29/393 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B41J
13/00 (20060101); B41J 2/175 (20060101); B41J
29/393 (20060101); B41J 29/38 (20060101); B41J
3/42 (20060101); B41J 002/01 () |
Field of
Search: |
;347/1,2,85-87,19,33,104 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hallacher; Craig
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sales; Milton S. Arno; Thomas
R.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A media pack for a combination image acquisition and ink jet
printing apparatus, said media pack comprising: a housing
configured for insertion into said combination image acquisition
and ink jet printing apparatus; a plurality of sheets of ink
receiving media contained within said housing; a plurality of ink
reservoirs mounted to said housing; and a writeable and readable
memory element attached to said housing.
2. The media pack of claim 1, wherein said writeable and readable
memory element includes contacts configured to connect to mating
contacts on said image acquisition and ink jet printer apparatus,
whereby said memory element is updated by said combination image
acquisition and ink jet printer apparatus as said plurality of
sheets of ink receiving media are used.
3. The media pack of claim 1, wherein said writeable and readable
memory element comprises a power input contact configured to
connect to a power output contact on said combination image
acquisition and ink jet printer apparatus.
4. The media pack of claim 1, wherein said writeable and readable
memory element is positioned on a top surface of said housing.
5. The media pack of claim 1, additionally comprising a print head
service station area.
6. The media pack of claim 5, wherein said service station area
comprises ink absorbent foam.
7. A media pack for a combination image acquisition and ink jet
printing apparatus, said media pack comprising: a housing
configured for insertion into said combination image acquisition
and ink jet printing apparatus; a plurality of sheets of ink
receiving media contained within said housing; a plurality of ink
reservoirs mounted to said housing; and a service station portion
formed by said housing, wherein said service station is integrally
formed as a side portion of said housing, wherein said service
station further comprises an ink absorbent foam pad, and wherein
said service station is formed on the side of the housing adjacent
to the edge of the media such that a print head can travel past the
edge of said media and eject droplets over said foam pad of said
service station.
8. The media pack of claim 7, further comprising a print head
wiper.
9. The media pack of claim 7, further comprising a rubber seal for
sealing an ink jet print head when the ink jet print head is not in
use.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic cameras and more
specifically to the printing of images produced by such camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital cameras, digital phones, PDAs and the like which obtain and
display acquired images electronically are in widespread use.
Digital images produced from these devices are typically stored in
memory and these images can be shown on a display so that the user
can determine which image should be stored for use in producing
hard copy images. Typically, these images can be stored in a
magnetic disk or a compact PCMCIA Flash RAM Card. Once stored, the
image data is generally downloaded to a separate print apparatus
for hard copy production.
More recently, attempts have been made to incorporate printing
apparatus into the cameras themselves so that no separate printing
apparatus is required. With such a combination camera/printing
apparatus, images can be acquired and printed at any location,
without waiting to perform a separate image download to other
processing and print apparatus.
One example of this type of combination camera and printing
apparatus is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,388 to Stephenson.
This document shows an electronic imaging camera and an ink jet
printing apparatus which can be interconnected for use either in
combination or apart. In this device, the image acquisition
apparatus is provided in one housing, and the printing apparatus is
provided in a second separate housing. This device is thus
essentially two separate devices with a means for coupling the two
together. Another example camera/printing apparatus combination is
provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,256 to McIntyre. In this case, a
single housing includes the image acquisition apparatus and a page
wide print head. A separate housing is used to provide sheets of
paper, ink, and a power supply for the printing apparatus. Although
both of these documents describe combination camera and printing
apparatus embodiments, neither is designed to optimize print
quality while minimizing the size and cost of producing and
operating the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the invention comprises a media pack for a
combination image acquisition and ink jet printing apparatus. The
media pack advantageously comprises a housing configured for
insertion into the combination digital camera and ink jet printing
apparatus, a plurality of sheets of ink receiving media contained
within the housing, a plurality of ink reservoirs mounted to the
housing, and a writeable and readable memory element attached to
the housing. In one embodiment, the writeable and readable memory
element is positioned on a top surface of the housing. In another
embodiment, a media pack for a combination image acquisition and
ink jet printing apparatus comprises a housing configured for
insertion into the combination digital camera and ink jet printing
apparatus, a plurality of sheets of ink receiving media contained
within the housing, a plurality of ink reservoirs mounted to the
housing, and a service station portion formed by the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital camera and ink jet printing
apparatus in an integral housing in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the printing apparatus assembly
of FIG. 1 along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3A is a cutaway side view of the camera/printing apparatus of
FIGS. 1 and 2 with a removable media pack installed.
FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the camera/printing apparatus of
FIGS. 1 and 2 with the camera housing cut away.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the removable media pack of FIG. 3
removed from the camera.
FIG. 5 is a top view of an ink jet printing apparatus carriage
assembly with cam structures for media advance.
FIG. 6A is a top view of the assembly of FIG. 5 with the cam in a
first position.
FIG. 6B is a top view of the assembly of FIG. 5 with the cam
rotated to a second position.
FIG. 7A is a side view of a second embodiment of a cam structure
for media advance.
FIG. 7B is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A with the cam in
a first position.
FIG. 7C is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A with the cam
rotated to a second position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying Figures, wherein like numerals refer to like
elements throughout. The terminology used in the description
presented herein is not intended to be interpreted in any limited
or restrictive manner, simply because it is being utilized in
conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific
embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, embodiments of the
invention may include several novel features, no single one of
which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes or which
is essential to practicing the inventions herein described.
The invention is directed to an imaging acquisition device and a
compact ink jet printing apparatus contained in an integral
housing. The imaging acquisition device could be a digital camera
of conventional design and can capture either still or motion
images. Such cameras often have a flat panel color display that is
used to frame and/or review captured images.
Turning now to FIG. 1, a housing 10 with an image acquisition
device 12 and an ink jet printing apparatus 14 is shown. Images are
captured by the image acquisition device 12 which typically
includes an optical system and an image sensor such as a CCD. The
device may be a camera, PDA, cell phone, or any device that
receives and stores images. Digital image data, which may be in
raster format, from image capture circuitry 16 is transferred to a
scanning print head 18 for hard copy image production as will be
described in additional detail below. The image capture circuitry
16 may additionally include a storage memory for storing digital
images captured by the system. These stored images may be used to
drive a display 20 in a well known manner. Display 20 can be for
instance a LCD or organic polymer display system of conventional
design.
The image capture electronics processes the data and formats it for
immediate printing by organizing the data in scan lines according
to the physical layout of the ink jet print head. This organization
allows the image capture electronics to perform a majority of the
processing functions and thereby allows straightforward
reproduction of image data by print the ink jet print head with
minimal additional processing, thereby reducing redundant hardware
including additional memory, resulting in reduction of the cost of
the device.
In advantageous embodiments of the invention, the print head 18
contained within the housing 10 is a scanning print head which is
moveable in the direction of arrows 21 and 22 along a guide rod 24
over a sheet of ink receiving media 29, typically paper. During the
printing process, the media 29 is advanced in a first direction
(out of the plane of FIG. 1) with a media advance drive member,
while the scanning print head travels back and forth across the
media 29 in a direction transverse to the first direction of media
advance depositing swaths of ink droplets. In this manner, an image
is formed by the ink jet printing apparatus. There are many
advantages to the scanning print head over page wide non-moving ink
jet head designs. Not only are smaller moving print heads less
expensive and easier to replace, but they produce a higher print
quality as well. This is because droplet deposition errors are
randomized and spread throughout the image by the movement of the
print head. With page wide print heads, droplet deposition errors
tend to be systematic, occurring in bands within the image, and
producing non correctable imperfections in print quality which are
much more noticeable to the human eye than random errors. In one
advantageous embodiment, the guide rod 24 on which the print head
18 is mounted also forms the media drive member. This is
illustrated more fully in FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the printing assembly 14 along
lines 2--2 of FIG. 1. As seen in this Figure, the ink jet print
head 18 may be mounted to or incorporate a bushing 48 which
slidably engages the guide rod 24. The guide rod 24 is free to
rotate within the bushing 48. The bottom surface of the guide rod
24 contacts the top sheet 29 of a stack of media such that when the
guide rod 24 is incrementally rotated, the top media sheet 29 is
also advanced. The print head is rotationally supported in a manner
similar to that of conventional ink jet printer, with an extension
37 that slides along a support surface 39 that is behind the print
head. Thus, the rotatable guide rod 24, disposed over the media
stack, is actuated to advance one of the media sheets 50 past the
ink jet print carriage 22 during the printing process.
To produce the transverse print head motion, the print head is
coupled to a drive belt assembly 27. Other print head moving
systems may utilize a motor and screw drive instead of drive belt.
Ink supply tubing 28 supplies ink from ink reservoirs outside the
print head 18. As in conventional ink jet print heads, the print
head 18 has a jet plate 31 on its bottom surface containing nozzles
for ink ejection. The jet plate is coupled to a flex circuit 33
which routes electrical signals to the jet plate for nozzle
actuation. To produce a low profile head for small size, the flex
circuit 33 is routed around to the front surface of the print head
1. Electrical contacts on this portion of the flex circuit 33
connect to mating electrical contacts on a second flex circuit 35
which is connected via a trailing cable connection to driver and
routing control logic and to the processing circuitry 16 of FIG. 1
so as to control ink ejection during the image printing process. A
specific advantageous method and apparatus for producing the
desired media and print head motion is described in more detail
below with reference to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7.
In one embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the media sheets
are housed in a media pack that is user insertable into and user
removable from the housing 10 containing the image acquisition and
printing apparatus. The media may thus be incorporated into a
second housing 52 separate from the first housing 10, forming an
inexpensive, disposable media pack for the camera/printing system.
In some advantageous embodiments, the second housing 52 may be
inserted into the first housing 10 from the rear. In one media pack
embodiment, the media sheets rest on a spring loaded platen 54. A
biasing member 56 urges the platen 54 with the media sheets 50
against the guide rod/drive roller 24. The second housing 52 may
also include an ink reservoir 58 which couples to the ink supply
tubing 28 when the media housing 52 is installed in the
camera/printing apparatus housing 10.
The relationship between the media pack and printing apparatus when
the media pack housing 52 is installed in the housing 10 is such
that print head travel is over the front portion of the media pack
housing 52 and above the media sheets as they sit inside the
housing 52. This reduces the total size of the device as media
sheets need not be advanced to a printer assembly which is
spatially separated from the media source in order to initiate the
print process. As will be explained further below, this arrangement
also allows a print head service station area to be incorporated
into the media pack.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the removable media pack
illustrated in FIG. 3. The housing 52 includes media 30, which is
exposed to contact from the guide rod/drive roller 24 when
installed in the camera/printing apparatus. Also provided are ink
outlets 60 for coupling to the ink supply tubing 28. In one
advantageous embodiment, the media pack includes a writable and
readable memory element 62, such as a FLASH memory. With this
memory element 62, not only can initial characteristics of the
media pack be stored, such as ink or media type, or initial number
of media sheets provided, but also, the information can be updated
so that the user can be kept informed, for example, of how many
media sheets are left or how many have been used. Also, if the
media pack is removed from the camera & later reinserted, the
camera may automatically determine the number of sheets left. When
sheets are used up or low, the camera knows this and may stop
printing requests or notify user to replace with a new media pack.
The memory element may incorporate a two pin serial bus which
allows easy access by the image processing apparatus. Using this
common serial bus technique, power may also be provided without use
of additional interface pins. Such memory devices are commercially
available from Dallas Semiconductors and others.
The memory element is advantageously placed on the top surface of
the housing 52 and is connected to electrical contacts 64 for
interfacing with the electronics in the camera/printing apparatus.
Referring back to FIG. 3B, this placement allows the electrical
contacts 64 to mate with contacts on a main printing apparatus
circuit board (not shown) mounted to the shelf 39 in the camera
housing 10. This eliminates the need to provide an additional
interface circuit board in the camera housing to interface with the
memory element contacts 64, thus minimizing the cost and size of
the device.
In addition, the housing 52 may include a print head service
station area 57 with an ink absorbent foam pad 59. During printing,
the print head can travel past the media edge and eject droplets
(or "spit") over the foam pad 59 to clear nozzles. This area may
also include other components (not shown) such as a print head
wiper and a rubber seal for sealing the ink jet print head when not
in use, as are commonly provided on larger scale ink jet printers.
When idle, the print head would reside over this area of the media
pack above the foam pad and sealed, if a seal is provided. With
this embodiment, mess from waste ink and print head servicing is
quickly disposed of with each replacement of the media pack.
Turning now to FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B, an advantageous print head and
media advance mechanism is described. The embodiments shown in
these figures are especially advantageous in this application
because only a single motor is required to advance both the print
head and the media. This allows for both space and cost savings in
a combined camera/printing apparatus.
Referring now to FIG. 5, a bidirectional printing apparatus
(wherein ink is deposited when the print head moves in both
directions across the media) is illustrated. As described above,
the ink jet print head 18 is slidably mounted on the guide rod and
paper drive roller 24 to enable motion of the ink jet print head
along the paper drive roller 24 and to define a linear path, as
shown by the bi-directional arrow in FIG. 5, along which the ink
jet print head 22 moves. A motor 26 and drive belt mechanism 27 (or
screw drive, for example) are used to drive the ink jet print head
18 along the paper drive roller 24.
The paper drive roller 24 is attached at each end to a cam 30a,
30b. The cams 30 are generally circular disks with a plurality of
protrusions 32a, 32b on their outer circumference. Each protrusion
32 is configured 30 such that a driving surface 38a, 38b is created
at an angle relative to the inner face 40 of the protrusion 32.
Alternately, other embodiments of protrusions 32 can be used that
provide driving surfaces on the cams 30.
The print head 18 includes extended actuators 42a, 42b protruding
from the sides of the print head 18. A protruding end 46a, 46b of
the actuator may be shaped at an angle or it may be rounded so that
each protruding end 46 can engage with the driving surface 38 of
one of the protrusions 32 on the cam 30.
As the print head 18 reaches one end of travel along the paper
drive roller 24, the drive motor 26 pushes the protruding end 46a
of the actuator against the driving surface 38a of a protrusion on
the end of cam 30a, causing the cam 30a (and the attached drive
roller) to rotate from a first position as shown in FIG. 6A to a
second position as shown in FIG. 6B. The rotation of the cam 30
rotates the paper drive roller 24, thereby advancing the media
sheet 50 an incremental amount.
When the print head 18 travels back to the other side of the roller
24, the actuator 42b on the other side of the print head contacts
the driving surface 38b on the other cam 30b, causing a similar
rotation of the paper drive roller. The protrusions on the cam 30a
are rotationally out of phase with the protrusions on the cam 30b,
such that the rotation caused at one end positions the protrusions
on the cam at the other end into the proper position to be engaged
with the other actuator.
Accordingly, a printed image is formed on the media sheet 50 by
advancing the media sheet in incremental amounts using paper drive
roller 24 each time the print head 18 reaches an end of travel
along the paper roller 24.
Another embodiment suitable for unidirectional printing (wherein
ink is deposited during only one direction of print head travel) is
shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C. In this case, only one cam 30 is
required. In this embodiment, the protrusion 42 may comprise an
articulating arm with a downwardly projecting tip 43 as shown in
the side view of FIG. 7A. As the print head 18 moves toward the cam
30, the tip 43 moves along the driving surface 38 of a protrusion
45 advancing the cam 30. During this process, the tip 43 moves
behind the adjacent protrusion 47 and in the gap 51 between the
protrusion 45 and the protrusion 47, while the horizontally
extending portion 49 of the actuator passes over the top of the
adjacent protrusion 47 as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C. The arm is
hinged such that on return motion, the tip 43 can rise up and over
the rear surface of the adjacent protrusion 47, releasing the cam
30 as the print head moves away toward the other side of the roller
24. When the print head returns on the next pass, the tip 43 is
positioned to engage the front of the adjacent protrusion 47, again
advancing the cam 30 and the roller 24. In this way, the media
advance is accomplished in a single sided operation.
The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the
invention. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how
detailed the foregoing appears in text, the invention can be
practiced in many ways. As is also stated above, it should be noted
that the use of particular terminology when describing certain
features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply
that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to
including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects
of the invention with which that terminology is associated. The
scope of the invention should therefore be construed in accordance
with the appended claims and any equivalents thereof.
* * * * *